Fall Plan of Action...

So probably like a few of you on this board, I was not happy with my June LSAT score. I was getting my practice tests between 163-169 without fail, and on the actual test I scored a 159. I really know that I can do better then this and plan on preparing myself accordingly for the October 4th test...

I had been studying for 3/4 months before the June test, devoting a good amount of time to the test each week. I plan on ordering the Logical Reasoning Bible for help in that area, but otherwise does anyone have any reco's for a study plan. I dont know if I have it in me to devote the amount of time I was doing before hand, but I realize that I need to do a good amount of studying to keep myself fresh for the October test.

With all that said, any help that can be offered from you guys would be great.

Thanks, and I hope the rest of you who took the June administration faired as well as you hoped!

So probably like a few of you on this board, I was not happy with my June LSAT score. I was getting my practice tests between 163-169 without fail, and on the actual test I scored a 159. I really know that I can do better then this and plan on preparing myself accordingly for the October 4th test...

I had been studying for 3/4 months before the June test, devoting a good amount of time to the test each week. I plan on ordering the Logical Reasoning Bible for help in that area, but otherwise does anyone have any reco's for a study plan. I dont know if I have it in me to devote the amount of time I was doing before hand, but I realize that I need to do a good amount of studying to keep myself fresh for the October test.

With all that said, any help that can be offered from you guys would be great.

Thanks, and I hope the rest of you who took the June administration faired as well as you hoped!

The biggest reason people score lower on the real thing is nerves. This is especially true if you got most of your wrong answers at the end of the sections, meaning you panicked over time and weren't concentrating on the questions. The best thing you can do (other than practice practice practice) is taking as many practice tests in timed, test-like conditions. Look up and take as many practice tests offered in your area by companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review as you possibly can. Usually they're free because they're trying to get you to take their courses. By practicing in these conditions, you can get confidence in a actual-test situations and won't get the drop from whatever you're scoring on practice tests at the time.

On test day, do everything you can to keep your confidence up the entire time - but I'll save detailed advice on that for closer to the day.

GOOD LUCK! You can definitely do it - if you can get those scores on practice tests, you can certainly get them on the real thing.

So probably like a few of you on this board, I was not happy with my June LSAT score. I was getting my practice tests between 163-169 without fail, and on the actual test I scored a 159. I really know that I can do better then this and plan on preparing myself accordingly for the October 4th test...

I had been studying for 3/4 months before the June test, devoting a good amount of time to the test each week. I plan on ordering the Logical Reasoning Bible for help in that area, but otherwise does anyone have any reco's for a study plan. I dont know if I have it in me to devote the amount of time I was doing before hand, but I realize that I need to do a good amount of studying to keep myself fresh for the October test.

With all that said, any help that can be offered from you guys would be great.

Thanks, and I hope the rest of you who took the June administration faired as well as you hoped!

The biggest reason people score lower on the real thing is nerves. This is especially true if you got most of your wrong answers at the end of the sections, meaning you panicked over time and weren't concentrating on the questions. The best thing you can do (other than practice practice practice) is taking as many practice tests in timed, test-like conditions. Look up and take as many practice tests offered in your area by companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review as you possibly can. Usually they're free because they're trying to get you to take their courses. By practicing in these conditions, you can get confidence in a actual-test situations and won't get the drop from whatever you're scoring on practice tests at the time.

On test day, do everything you can to keep your confidence up the entire time - but I'll save detailed advice on that for closer to the day.

GOOD LUCK! You can definitely do it - if you can get those scores on practice tests, you can certainly get them on the real thing.

I am totally taking your advice and taking all the PR/Kaplan free proctored PTs that they are offering.

There is a strategy that someone told me and that can really help you if you're like me and have trouble just concentrating through a test that long. Of course, it's not for everyone - you have to be pretty hardcore and have a giant block of free time, which I know many of us just don't have. But closer to test date, take a Saturday and take two timed tests (8 sections) back to back. Don't take more than a 15 minute break in between, don't go back and review the first test before you start the second. It's hard, exhausting and definitely not fun but it makes the actual LSAT feel short and builds your concentration and attention span so you don't flame out at the end of the test.

Again, not for everyone and not the easiest thing to pull off (I think taking test-condition practice tests as often as possible is a much better idea) but if you have the same trouble with a long test as I did (had the same problems with the SATs) it might help.

I took Feb and bombed. In the 150s. I think what killed me was i took 3 sleeping pills the night before because i could sleep. In the morn of i took thalma to relax. So during the test i was not alert. I did not even remmeber one question after the test. It was like i lost 4 hours of my life.

My advice is don't pratice the 2 weeks before the test. Maybe 1 exam the saturday before. And relax and come in fresh.

The biggest reason people score lower on the real thing is nerves. This is especially true if you got most of your wrong answers at the end of the sections, meaning you panicked over time and weren't concentrating on the questions. The best thing you can do (other than practice practice practice) is taking as many practice tests in timed, test-like conditions. Look up and take as many practice tests offered in your area by companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review as you possibly can. Usually they're free because they're trying to get you to take their courses. By practicing in these conditions, you can get confidence in a actual-test situations and won't get the drop from whatever you're scoring on practice tests at the time.

On test day, do everything you can to keep your confidence up the entire time - but I'll save detailed advice on that for closer to the day.

GOOD LUCK! You can definitely do it - if you can get those scores on practice tests, you can certainly get them on the real thing.[/quote]

This is actually what I was doing before the June exam. I took a Kaplan course at school and had been going to my Kaplan center 2 or 3 times a week to do 'proctored' tests. (They give me the test and a timer and put me into a room and let me take it under 'real conditions'.)

I think that I am going to take the week or two off before the exam to just relax and let everything sink in, I think that may help. Anyone else have any advice?